Monday, September 29, 2014

There's been a lot going on around here lately. You know how it gets when there's so much to write about that it's hard to focus on just one thing? That. Lucky for me, my friend Lillian at It's a Dome Lifetapped me for one of these list things. It is incredibly long.

1. What are you wearing?
At the moment, pajamas. Actually, usually, it's pajamas. Or yoga pants. I'm an embarrassment to my mother.

2. Ever been in love?
Yes indeed. Currently, I'm in love with my husband, my children, and this new sweater I just got that's like a big cozy blanket.

3. Ever have a terrible break-up?
One of those awful sit alone in my room in the dark and sing all the songs that used to be about "us" while sobbing into his sweater that I found under my bed? Hasn't everyone?

4. How tall are you?
5'5". I come from a family of 6 footers, so as far as I'm concerned, I'm tiny.

5. How much do you weigh?
The average weight of a woman my age, with two kids, who constantly wears pajamas.

6. Any tattoos?
Nope. I never found anything I wanted permanently, or that could make me overcome my paralyzing fear of needles.

7. Any piercings?
Considering the whole needle thing, you wouldn't expect so, but yes. Two in each ear, and I used to have one in my nose, but let it grow over after my (then) newborn painfully yanked it out one too many times.

8. OTP (One true pair, favorite fictional couple?)
Ron and Hermione.

9. Favorite Show?
My favourite show changes every other week. Right now it's Community, mostly because I'm binge watching it with Husband, and I love laughing with him.

10. Favorite Bands?
Hmmm. I will always love Great Big Sea. Tragically Hip. Bobs and Lolo, who are peppy and educational without being manic, have a special place in my heart. The Peyote Kings were awesome (and had a totally crush-worthy bass player). The Interphase Project.

11. Something you miss?
I miss swimming. I haven't been in forever.

12. Favorite Song?
"Happy" by The Interphase Project*. (Which came out way before Pharell's did. Just saying.) I'm also very fond of "Stagefright" by David Hein.13. How old are you?
Younger than I feel, but older than I look. (Definitely older than I act.)

14. Zodiac sign?
I am a peace loving, balance finding, Libra.

15. Quality to look for in a partner?
Patience and understanding are really important to me. I can be a lot to put up with. A sense of humour helps too.

16. Favorite Quote?

17. Favorite Actor?
I actually don't think I have one. Although, if pressed, I will say that I've liked Steve Carellin everything I've ever seen him in. So him, I guess? Oh, and Mindy Kaling. Love her. Amy Poehler. Tina Fey. Chris Pratt. Most of the cast of Parks and Rec. See what I mean? I can't pick just one.

18. Favorite Color?
Again, situational. More often than not though, it's the colour that the world turns just before full on sunset. That warm friendly orange.

19. Loud music or soft?
Both.

20. Where do you go when you are sad?
Depends whether I want to wallow or get over it. I wallow in my bed, curled in a ball with the covers over my head. I get over it outside.

21. How long does it take you to shower?
5 minutes.

22. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
5 minutes. But only if it's just me. If it's me and the girls, it takes an hour and a freaking half.

23. Ever been in a physical fight?
Just once. It sucked, and I've avoided them ever since.

24. Turn on?
Quick wit.

25. Turn-off?
Bad grammar.

26. The reason I started blogging?
I was incredibly lonely, home alone with a toddler and infant, in the middle of winter.

29. Last time you said you loved someone?
About five minutes ago. I hand out "I love you"s pretty regularly around here.

30. Meaning behind the name of your blog (Just a Mum?)?
I was out at dinner with some people and someone asked me "...and what do you do?" I answered that I was pretty busy being a mum at the moment. They snidely replied "JUST a mum?" There's a post around here somewhere about that... hang on... ahh, here it is.

31. Last book you read?
The last book I read was "Loser" by Jerry Spinelli. Before that, it was "File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents" by Lemony Snicket. I read a lot of kids books before I pass them along to the girls so I know what might come up that they'll have questions about. (I also just like YA.)

32. Book you are currently reading?
I usually have a few books on the go, but today, I am actually not reading a single one. I'm actually quite surprised.

33. Last show you watched?
The aforementioned Community. 34. Last person you talked to?
Kee and Beege. At the same time, because they talk over each other. One was colour theory, and the other was excitement about a contest where you could win a trip for four ("That's ALL OF US!") to Cape Canaveral.

35. The relationship between you and the person you just texted?
My sister, I think.

36. Favorite food?
"Something saucy, meaty, maybe with noodles... and vegetables." This is what I always ask for when Husband asks what I'd like for dinner, so I'm assuming that's it.

37. Place you want to visit?
That Harry Potter theme park. I really wish I wasn't a muggle.

38. Last place you were?
The park with the girls.

39. Do you have a crush?
There's this really cute, kinda nerdy, guy that I like. He plays bass, and likes the same shows as me, and takes out my recycling every week.

40. Last time you kissed someone?
This afternoon at the park, when Kee bumped her head on the playground equipment.

41.Last time you were insulted?
Personally insulted? Like, on purpose? I can't even remember. Kee called me a cucumber this morning, but I wasn't particularly insulted.

42. Favorite flavor of sweet?
Caramel. I think.

What instruments do you play?
I don't play anything right now, but I have, at various times in my life, played the following: recorder, piano, violin, and french horn.

44. Favorite piece of jewelry?
I'm going to go with my wedding ring, because it's the only thing I wear absolutely all the time.

45. Last sport you played?
Spo..ort? If you're referring to some sort of organised bashing around of a ball or something... uhm... I was on the squash team in high school.

46. Last song you sang?
Let it Go. Like everyone else in the world.

47. Favorite chat up line?
I don't have one. I'm not the type to approach people with lines. I'm a friend first kind of dater.

48. Have you ever used it?
N/A

49. Last time you hung out with anyone?
I hung out with Husband on the couch and watched Community last night. Does that count?

50. Who should answer these questions next?Kyla at Mommy's Weird, and Tara at Don't Lick the Deck. (Although they're both very busy ladies, and may not have time for this silliness... go check them out anyway, because they're a couple of my very biggest blog crushes.)

*Kyrie Eliason is pretty excellent too. I've got a total crush on the singer on that one.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Over the summer, when we were talking about back to school, part of the conversation was about homework. Both of my girls were looking forward to it. We're all a little odd here, but I used to love homework too. I loved all the ruled lines, colourful graphs, and neat rows.

Now that Kee is in grade one, she is finally going to have homework. She's been waiting for so long. When Beege started bringing home worksheets and projects, Kee would sit down with a colouring book or paper so that she could work alongside her. Last year, she took to reading the dictionary so that she could "prepare for all the homework in grade one!"

We decided on where homework would be done, and thought of some strategies to help stay focused. We agreed that a snack would be provided, and that assistance would be available. We bought new pencils to have ready and waiting.

Sadly, we're in week three, and still nothing. For either of them.

So we've been trying to fill the time we'd earmarked for all that homework with something that seems homeworkish. We've been watching some great movies, and coming up with activities to do surrounding them.

The Lorax is a particularly good one for this, having many themes to discuss; loyalty and friendship, the importance of environmental protection, the slippery slope of greed. Also, it's got some really great songs. We've come up with offshoot stories, drawn our favourite parts of the movie, and talked about the ways that the Onceler could have "biggerred" his business while avoiding destroying the land.

Netflix has a great selection of recommendations this month for getting conversations started.

Friday, September 12, 2014

Remember how anxious I was about school? Seems like it was unnecessary worry on my part - at least as far as the girls are concerned.

Kee loves her class. She thinks it's fantastic that she gets to bring a lunch and that the drinking fountain in her hallway has a special spigot for filling water bottles. She has three new best friends (Although, they will never replace her old house best friend), and a new arch enemy (who totally does replace the old one). She can't wait to borrow books from the library. She was thrilled to tell me that she got to go read a story that she wrote to the principal, and even received a particularly handsome fuzzy frog sticker as a mark of achievement for it. She won lollipops three days in a row for remembering to bring everything she needed to school. (Although, technically, those lollipops should be mine, since I packed the bag... but I digress.)

Beege has made some new friends, none of whose names she can remember. She has even found someone with a shared love of Pokemon and Minecraft to chat with. She has joined the cross country team (they ran past the front window during practice today!), and signed up to be a library helper. She has plans to try out for basketball. She is totally stoked that she gets a locker this year, and over the moon to be learning French. She has forgotten one item in each classroom that she's been in, but she didn't seem to see that as a bad thing.

We've had no homework for anyone yet, so I'm curious about how that will go. The notes I got home seem to imply that most of the homework will consist of making sure that they both read for at least 20 minutes a night, either alone or with an adult; which will not be an issue, considering Beege has read 3 novels this week, and Kee is on her second re-read of Jedi Academy*.

I haven't gotten to meet the teachers yet, but that's coming up with Meet the Teacher night.

On the whole, I'm feeling pretty good.

Now if I could only get the one to actually get out of bed in the morning, and the other one to stop spending an hour in the bathroom so no one else can get in there, we'd be set.

How about you? How did your back to school go?

*There are two in the series so far, by Jeffrey Brown. She is in love with these books, and we can't wait until there're more of them so we don't have to keep reading the same two with her over, and over, and over, and over...

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

From about the second week of summer vacation, I will admit, that I was looking forward to sending the kids back to school. Don't look at me like that. At least half of you were thinking the same thing, and the other half? Well, you've either got more patience or more laid back children than I have.

My kids love each other so much. They're the first to rush to the other's defense, the first to make sure that the other is getting her fair share, and the first to bristle at perceived slights to the other. They are also, unfortunately, the first to poke at the other til she cries, the first to grab things out of the other's hand and run, and the first to tease the other until she snaps and gets in trouble.

There was a lot of that this summer, as I'm sure there was at your house. It seems to be the way of siblings, doesn't it?

This morning, they fidgeted as I braided their hair. They admired their new lunch bags. "I'm a grade now, Mummy! I stay for lunch too!" Kee said, stroking hers admiringly. They posed for the obligatory pictures.

It's a whole new school for my kids this year.

Beege went right up to the first official looking adult she found and introduced herself. She found out where she was supposed to go and looked out for "the teacher in the red dress... she's mine." She wanted us to stay with her until she went in. There were kisses and hugs.

Kee found her lineup and went to stand by herself, the only sign of her nervousness the way she was chewing on her lip as she looked around. She rolled her eyes good-naturedly when I yelled, "bye baby! Love you! Have a good day!" Apparently grade one is not too early to be embarrassed by your mum.

We dropped them off at their separate entrances, surrounded by new kids and teachers I'd never met. And I worried. Because that's what I do. Will they meet some nice kids? Do they have enough for lunch? Will they be too hot? Will they be able to find the bathroom?

I walked home with Husband, fighting tears and trying not to be an idiot. He didn't get it. Not only do we not know anyone - they don't know us.

Her new teacher won't recognise that the stubborn jutting of Kee's chin that really means that she's nervous or uncomfortable. Her new teacher might not think it's charming that Beege sometimes hums and nods at the ends of sentences, and doesn't always remember to look at the person she's talking to.

They don't love them yet.

I'm sure they will. My kids are charming, and interesting, and lovable. Just like most other kids, when you get to know them. But they don'tyet.

And so, today, I'll worry.

I'll sit around in my pajamas and watch YouTube videos instead of doing anything that might take my concentration off of the girls and hoping their day is going well. I'll be there ten minutes early to pick them up so that they don't have to spend a second wondering where I am. We'll order pizza and I'll get as much as I can out of them about their days. I'll ask about teachers, and classrooms, and other kids. I'll ask about the library and the music room. We'll play a game together and then get everyone ready for bed.

This is Me:

I am a stay at home mum, a writer, and an artist. I've got three amazing little girls. Beege is 11, Keebee is 9, and Bean joined us in February 2016. They keep me on my toes and don't give me time for much else. They call me Mummy, but most people call me Jessica. Oh, Husband is around here somewhere too. (He's pretty awesome.)